The history of classical music starts in the Middle Ages because few written records exist from antiquity, according to the website Hypermusic. During the Medieval era, music started to resemble what would later develop into other styles of classical music. Medieval music is mostly characterized by primitive instruments, such as the lute or harp. Medieval music was also monophonic, meaning it consisted of one instrument playing a single melody line with no accompaniment by other instruments or counter-melodies.
Polyphony was the main development of the Renaissance era, according to Classicalworks.com. Polyphony is the opposite of monophony, and is music that has multiple instruments playing different melodies and harmonies simultaneously. This led to composers requiring greater skill because they needed to balance the instruments and manage several parts at once to create pleasing music. Instruments common to the Renaissance era were the harpsichord and clavichord, two instruments that could play both melody and chords simultaneously.
The Baroque era was typified by taking the polyphony of the Renaissance to new and ornate levels of sophistication, according to All-art.org. Increasingly complex and numerous melodies were performed simultaneously, and larger groups of different instruments were used to play musical works. Early forms of the trumpet and flute were used widely in the Baroque period, as well as large groups such as choirs and primitive string orchestras.
Although all Western art music has been called "classical music," the Classical period in Europe was defined by the first modern orchestras and forms that persisted into the Romantic and Contemporary eras, according to Thinkquest.org. These forms included the symphony, which became the standard type of piece for orchestras. Instruments during this period became better sounding and easier to play as manufacturing practices improved, leading to modern versions of the upright bass and french horn.
Romantic music took the forms and large orchestras of the Classical period and added dramatic elements. Exciting instruments such as the explosive kettle drums were added to orchestras to try to evoke themes of war, revolution, love and tragedy. Romantic music also featured great disparities in dynamics, or the volume at which different parts of pieces were played. This led to greater suspense and theatricality in musical performance.
Contemporary music encompasses music of the late 19th century and the 20th century, and is often described as revolutionary and experimental. Composers during this period attempted to create new types of music by changing known forms, such as the symphony, as well as developing new types of instruments and instruments from foreign lands, such as African and Asian percussion instruments. Some music in the contemporary period used non-musical items in musical pieces, such as furniture. New scales and chords were developed to distance contemporary music from other eras of classical music.